Hot Take: Iran sees opportunity in US withdrawal from Afghanistan

After two decades with a US-backed government and American military presence on its northern border, Iran is not unhappy about the return of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. Tehran has cultivated relations with the "Emirate" in recent years, even as it maintained proper ties with the outgoing Afghan government.

Interests. Iran shares a 572-mile border with Afghanistan and is host to 3 million Afghans. Iran’s national security interests also include concerns about international drug trafficking from Afghanistan, as well as terrorist groups such as the Islamic State Khorasan, the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State. Since 2001, Tehran also had to contend with the presence of the US military just across the border.

Culture matters. Iran has a substantial cultural footprint in Afghanistan. Dari, the Afghan version of the Persian language, is spoken by 78% of the population and is the preferred language of governance in Kabul. Herat province, on Iran’s eastern border, is a historic gateway to Iran and was a key cultural and religious hub of the Persian Empire. Afghanistan is 90% Muslim, with up to 17% of the population Shiite, the rest Sunni.